Nonwoven abrasive articles comprising a three-dimensional fiber web bonded at contact points between adjacent fibers are used extensively in the manufacture of abrasive articles for cleaning, abrading, finishing and polishing applications on any of a variety of surfaces. In addition to the nonwoven web, the nonwoven abrasive articles generally include abrasive particles and a binder material (commonly termed a “binder”) that bonds the fibers within the nonwoven web to each other and secures the abrasive particles to the nonwoven web.
One common type of nonwoven abrasive includes a lofty open fiber web. Exemplary of such nonwoven abrasive articles are those described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,593 (Hoover et al.). Exemplary commercial nonwoven abrasive articles include nonwoven abrasive hand pads such as those marketed by 3M Company of Saint Paul, Minn. under the trade designation SCOTCH-BRITE.
Other examples of nonwoven abrasive articles include convolute abrasive wheels and unitized abrasive wheels. Nonwoven abrasive wheels typically have abrasive particles distributed through the layers of nonwoven web bonded together with a binder that bonds layers of nonwoven webs together, and likewise bonds the abrasive particles to the nonwoven web. Unitized abrasive wheels have individual discs of nonwoven web arranged in a parallel fashion to form a cylinder having a hollow axial core. Alternatively, convolute abrasive wheels have a nonwoven web that is spirally wound about and affixed to a core member.
Regardless of the construction of the nonwoven abrasive articles, their abrading performance generally decreases over time with use. A continuing need exists for ways to extend the useful abrading life of nonwoven abrasive articles.